Michigan Case Study: Why Do People Visit Winery Tasting Rooms?

What are people looking for when they open the door and walk into a winery tasting room? A study conducted by two Michigan State professors, Don Holecek and Dan McCole, and reported on in Northern Grapes News, provides some very interesting insight. Focusing solely on wineries in Michigan, 15 of them were chosen to take part in the study. And the two received questionnaire responses from over 1,500 customers. So what did they find out?

For wine-related activities, 21% of survey respondents said the purpose of their visit was to buy wine, a shade over 1% wanted to meet the winemaker, and 7.5 were there to learn about wine. Non-wine related, "experiential" endeavors, specifically socializing with friends, were noted by over 20% of respondents as why they were stopping by a tasting room. Almost 28% were looking for a relaxing day. And just under 12% were seeking a unique experience.

Adding it all up, 60% of respondents wanted experiential activities versus only 30% looking for a wine-centric time. (10% fall into an miscellaneous/other category.)

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